7/25/2004 08:59:00 pm -
Reported by
Shaun Lyon

July 25, 2004 • Posted By Shaun Lyon

Everyone's jumped on the bandwagon with the new TARDIS. The Mirror (July 23) ran a piece on the TARDIS being spotted in Cardiff. Says the South Wales Echo (July 22), "As filming for the revival series of Doctor Who takes to the city"s streets, rumours are flying that the traditional exterminating enemy has been replaced by an army of suave but evil mannequins." The Echo also noted on July 23, "Drinkers in Cardiff might have been alarmed to find their favourite watering hole had been take over by the police. But there was no need to worry - it's all in the name of Dr Who. The back door of the Toad at the Exhibition bar in Working Street, Cardiff city centre, was transformed into the front door of a police station for filming of the all-new Doctor Who series. Large blue stickers with white lettering reading Police were stuck in the windows of the bar which faces St David's Centre, and a sign hanging from the outside wall was covered with a police banner. Half of the bar was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and last night, to accommodate the crew."

The Manchester Evening News got into it on July 24: "It may be forty years since blue police boxes were last seen on the streets, but Dr Who fans were celebrating after catching a glimpse of one still in perfect working order," said the paper. "Viewers had been worried that the doctor's antiquated time and space machine might be axed along with the Daleks who fell victim to a legal wrangle between the Beeb and late creator Terry Nation's estate. But the refitted and repainted TARDIS - which stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space - materialised next to a shopping centre where the Time Lord's new adventures are being shot."

An article entitled "Doctor Who Mania: Why the Brits are taking this quirky Sci-Fi revival so seriously" at ElitesTV notes that "'Doctor Who' mania has surged again since the announcement that BBC Wales will begin filming the revival this summer. ... Fans of the classic show are waiting to see a fresh cast take on the task of recreating one of BritainÆs favorite stories. However, changes to the show and its characters are inevitable. The new version will have an edgier, more emotional Doctor and a sexy new assistant. Unfortunately for fans, the Daleks, Doctor WhoÆs most feared enemies and voted the most evil villains on television by British TV viewers, wonÆt be returning for the new show. Negotiations over issues of creative control between the BBC and the estate of creator Terry Nation have resulted in a Dalekless series. Nevertheless, the writers are confident they can provide Doctor Who aficionados with new foes to feast on." Read the full article at the website.